The Saugatuck Center for the Arts, 400 Culver St., will host the first annual Saugatuck Shorts competition, featuring short films with ties to Michigan, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12.

Submissions will be accepted starting May 1 through August 31. Entry guidelines can be found online at sc4a.org, including submission instructions, from May 1. A jury of professionals will select the 10 best films to be screened at the event. These filmmakers will be given two tickets to the Shorts event plus the opportunity to introduce their film to the audience.

“This event is designed for filmmakers of all ages, and we hope the five minute platform encourages true digital creativity. We’re also very excited to be able to reward the most noteworthy projects,” says SCA Executive Director Kristin Armstrong. “The competition is unique in that it requires a Michigan ‘flavor’ in the submission. For instance, a film could be shot in Michigan, include Michigan in the storyline, have a Michigan filmmaker or actor – something that adds a note of Michigan to the entry.”

The SCA has long included film as an art medium in its programming: it hosts a yearly Children’s Film Festival and in 2011 the locally produced and focused film “everydayPeople” debuted to a sold-out audience at the SCA.

Most recently, the SCA served as the venue for WGVU Public Media’s Hometown Stories project.

“We’re always looking for ways to support and celebrate artists so this concept was a natural extension for us,” explains Armstrong. “We’re looking forward to submissions from established filmmakers, and we hope to inspire people who have contemplated creating a film to do just that.”

Three prizes will be awarded at the screening: $500 for the high school and younger student category, $1,000 for the adult category, and $1,000 for “audience favorite."

The event will be open to the public, with tickets available in the fall. Proceeds from the evening will support future free and low-cost programming at the SCA.